Latest news with #MinistryofHomeAffairs
News18
4 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
Operation Shield: Evacuation, Blackout Drills Conducted In J&K, Pakistan-Bordering States
Last Updated: The security drills, supervised by the Ministry of Home Affairs, involved blackout procedures, evacuation simulations, and assessments of coordinated emergency responses. Operation Shield: Civil defence drills were carried out on Saturday under 'Operation Sindoor' in several states bordering Pakistan, including Jammu and Kashmir, where a blackout exercise was conducted at Srinagar's iconic Lal Chowk. The security drills, aimed at assessing emergency preparedness in the wake of the recent military conflict between India and Pakistan, were also carried out in Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, and Chandigarh. In Srinagar, the drill simulated a fire emergency in a building, emphasising rescue efforts and firefighting protocols, and included a 10-minute blackout at Lal Chowk. #WATCH | Jammu and Kashmir | Blackout mock drill carried out at the Lal Chowk in Srinagar under Operation Shield — ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2025 Similar security exercises were seen in several districts across Jammu and Kashmir, including Akhnoor, Doda and Poonch as part of Operation Shield. 'We conducted a civil defence drill in line with the MHA guidelines under Operation Shield. The exercise aimed to assess the preparedness of the manpower, infrastructure and equipment. As part of the drill, we also carried out a 10-minute blackout," District Magistrate Dr Bilal Mohi-Ud-Din Bhat said. The drills were supervised by the Ministry of Home Affairs and involved blackout procedures, evacuation simulations, and assessments of coordinated emergency responses. In Chandigarh, the drills featured a range of scenarios, such as a blackout simulation, responding to a mock evacuation call to assess response time, and a separate exercise focusing on the mobilisation of home guards in emergency situations. Security drills were also held in other places, including Ahmedabad, in Jaipur's Khatipura area. It comes in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, India's military response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 people lost their lives. First Published:
India Today
4 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Evacuation simulations, blackout scenarios: Security drills in states bordering Pak
Civil defence drills were held on Saturday in the states bordering Pakistan as part of the nationwide Operation Shield to test emergency readiness in these regions, weeks after the military conflict between India and exercise was held in states adjoining the western border, including Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, Punjab and Rajasthan. The Ministry of Home Affairs oversaw the drills, which included blackout protocols, evacuation simulations and coordinated emergency response checks. advertisementThis phase followed the first nationwide drill conducted on May 7, just hours before the Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people, mostly Hindu DRILLS HELD:- Security drills were organised in Chandigarh with scenarios like a blackout drill, receiving a mock call regarding evacuation, noting their response time and a separate exercise on the movement of home guards in emergency situations. "We conducted the second civil defence drills here. We envisioned some scenarios in which we received a mock call from Chandigarh Air Force Station stating that some people needed to be relocated. We moved 20 people to the Sector 47 community centre. We noted the response time. We are also doing an exercise to ensure the movement of home guards in an emergency situation," DC Nishant Yadav said. advertisement In Srinagar, the drill simulated a fire situation in a building, focussing on rescue operations and firefighting mechanisms, along with a 10-minute blackout at Lal Chowk. #WATCH | Jammu and Kashmir | Blackout mock drill carried out at the Lal Chowk in Srinagar under Operation Shield — ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2025 "We conducted a civil defence drill in line with the MHA guidelines under Operation Shield. The exercise aimed to assess the preparedness of the manpower, infrastructure and equipment. As part of the drill, we also carried out a 10-minute blackout," District Magistrate Dr Bilal Mohi-Ud-Din Bhat said. A similar security drill was held in Amritsar along with a blackout protocol. An official said that the exercise was being held to ensure the coordination of civil defence departments during war-like situations. "Several districts are at higher risk as they share a border with Pakistan, such as Amritsar, Pathankot, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Firozpur and Fazilka. Conducting such exercises is to ensure that maximum administration is operational during war-like situations. It teaches how to be safe at home during air strikes and drone attacks, staying at home and how to save oneself during blackouts," Commandant Jaskaran Singh said. Security drills were also held in other places, including Ahmedabad, in Jaipur's Khatipura area, in Jammu and Kashmir's Akhnoor, Doda and Poonch as part of Operation Shield. "This is a security drill. We recently saw border shelling here. We wanted to raise awareness about this. If such an incident happens, people should be ready," SDM Akhnoor Mukhtar Ahmad said. In the last security drill held on May 7, air raid warning sirens were activated while civilians and students were briefed on civil defence protocols on how to protect themselves and others around them in case of an attack. These security drills - the first of their kind since the 1971 war with Pakistan - were held in 250 locations across 33 states and union territories. Must Watch IN THIS STORY#Operation Sindoor
Indian Express
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Haryana to conduct state-wide mock drill today, 15-min blackout from 8 pm
Haryana will now conduct the state-wide mock drill – civil defence exercise — under Operation Shield on Saturday across all 22 districts to enhance state's emergency preparedness and response capabilities. Scheduled to begin at 5 pm, the drill is being organised under the guidance of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to simulate critical incidents such as air raids, drone attacks, and other wartime scenarios in the light of current national security concerns. Earlier, this mock drill was scheduled for May 29 but was postponed as per MHA instructions. A controlled blackout of 15 minutes will be observed from 8 pm near vital installations, with exception of essential emergency services such as hospitals, fire stations, and police stations. Interacting with media persons here Friday, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sumita Misra said, 'The exercise aims to test existing emergency mechanisms, improve coordination between the civil administration, defence forces, and local communities and to identify areas that need to be strengthened, thus ensuring swift and effective response during any crisis.' Misra said, 'Currently there are around 32,000 civil defence volunteers across Haryana who will contribute in this exercise. All Deputy Commissioners have been directed to call out Civil Defence Volunteers, NSS, NCC, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), Home Gaurds, etc. of their respective districts in order to brief them regarding their deployment, duties and exercises to be undertaken.' The key components include drills responding to aerial threats such as air raids and swarms of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), activation of air raid sirens, and testing of control room communication hotlines established with the Indian Air Force. The exercise aligns with the Incident Response System (IRS), which Haryana officially notified on January 28, 2025, under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, providing a structured framework for effective emergency response. All Deputy Commissioners, who are also Chairpersons of District Disaster Management Authorities, along with Commissioners and Superintendents of Police, have been directed to ensure meticulous planning and execution of the exercise in their jurisdictions. 'They have been instructed to submit a detailed Action Taken Reports to the Commandant General, Home Guards, and Director, Civil Defence, Haryana, which will be compiled for state-level review and forwarded to the MHA. The above mock exercises are scheduled for May 31 between 5 pm and 9 pm and should not be the cause of alarm for the citizen,' Misra said.
The Hindu
14 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Haryana to conduct statewide civil defence exercise 'Operation Shield' on May 31
The Haryana government will conduct a major statewide Civil Defence Exercise, "Operation Shield", on May 31, across all 22 districts to enhance the state's emergency preparedness and response capabilities. Scheduled to begin at 5 p.m., this comprehensive drill is being organised under the guidance of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, to simulate critical incidents such as air raids, drone attacks, and other wartime scenarios in the light of current national security concerns, an official statement said here on Friday. The mock exercises are scheduled for May 31 between 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and should not be the cause of alarm for the citizens, officials said. Earlier, this drill was scheduled for May 29 but was postponed as per the instructions of the Ministry of Home Affairs, it said. Giving further details, Additional Chief Secretary, Haryana's Home Department, Sumita Misra on Friday stated that the exercise aims to test existing emergency mechanisms, improve coordination between the civil administration, defence forces, and local communities and to identify areas that need to be strengthened, thus ensuring swift and effective response during any crisis. She said that currently there are around 32,000 Civil Defence Volunteers across state who will also contribute in this exercise. All Deputy Commissioners have been directed to call out Civil Defence Volunteers, NSS, NCC, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), Home Guards, of their respective districts in order to brief them regarding their deployment, duties and exercises to be undertaken. She further stated that, key components include drills responding to aerial threats such as air raids and swarms of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), activation of air raid sirens, and testing of control room communication hotlines established with the Indian Air Force. Additionally, a controlled blackout of 15 minutes will be observed from 8 p.m. to 8.15 p.m. near vital installations, with exception of essential emergency services such as hospitals, fire stations, and police stations. Mr. Misra highlighted that the exercise also aligns with the Incident Response System (IRS), which Haryana officially notified on January 28, 2025, under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, providing a structured framework for effective emergency response. She directed all Deputy Commissioners, who are also Chairpersons of District Disaster Management Authorities, along with Commissioners and Superintendents of Police, to ensure meticulous planning and execution of the exercise in their jurisdictions. They have been instructed to submit detailed Action Taken Reports to the Commandant General, Home Guards, and Director, Civil Defence, Haryana, which will be compiled for state-level review and forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Haryana to hold statewide civil defence drill 'Operation Shield' on May 31
The Haryana government will conduct a major statewide Civil Defence Exercise, "Operation Shield", on May 31, across all 22 districts to enhance the state's emergency preparedness and response capabilities. Scheduled to begin at 5 pm, this comprehensive drill is being organised under the guidance of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, to simulate critical incidents such as air raids, drone attacks, and other wartime scenarios in the light of current national security concerns, an official statement said here on Friday. The mock exercises are scheduled for May 31 between 5 pm to 9 pm and should not be the cause of alarm for the citizens, officials said. Earlier, this drill was scheduled for May 29 but was postponed as per the instructions of the Ministry of Home Affairs, it said. Giving further details, Additional Chief Secretary, Haryana's Home Department, Sumita Misra on Friday stated that the exercise aims to test existing emergency mechanisms, improve coordination between the civil administration, defence forces, and local communities and to identify areas that need to be strengthened, thus ensuring swift and effective response during any crisis. She said that currently there are around 32,000 Civil Defence Volunteers across state who will also contribute in this exercise. All Deputy Commissioners have been directed to call out Civil Defence Volunteers, NSS, NCC, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), Home Guards, of their respective districts in order to brief them regarding their deployment, duties and exercises to be undertaken. She further stated that, key components include drills responding to aerial threats such as air raids and swarms of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), activation of air raid sirens, and testing of control room communication hotlines established with the Indian Air Force. Additionally, a controlled blackout of 15 minutes will be observed from 8 pm to 8.15 pm near vital installations, with exception of essential emergency services such as hospitals, fire stations, and police stations. Misra highlighted that the exercise also aligns with the Incident Response System (IRS), which Haryana officially notified on January 28, 2025, under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, providing a structured framework for effective emergency response. She directed all Deputy Commissioners, who are also Chairpersons of District Disaster Management Authorities, along with Commissioners and Superintendents of Police, to ensure meticulous planning and execution of the exercise in their jurisdictions. They have been instructed to submit detailed Action Taken Reports to the Commandant General, Home Guards, and Director, Civil Defence, Haryana, which will be compiled for state-level review and forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
